BEIJING - On August 22nd a train in the Dalian traffic section made an unscheduled stop close to the Dalian airport for some Japanese passengers.  Thanks to the one-minute stop, the passengers were able to catch their flight on time.  One of the Japanese passengers was so thankful for the gesture that he wrote a letter in Chinese to thank the captain:  "The train stopped temporarily for us for one minute.  This would not have been done in another country in the whole world," he wrote.

News of the train stoppage has provoked controversy among Chinese netizens.  Over ten thousand people posted their opinions online.  Should the train have stopped?  Would the train stop for Chinese passengers in an emergency?  90% of people online don't beleive the train would've made the unscheduled stop for Chinese passengers. 

Some netizens said the train's delay made the Japanese passengers late for their flight in the first place, and the railway department had to take responsibility.  However, others argued that there is always a chance of being late when taking public transportation, which had to be considered.  Still, others believed the railway department was responsible for damage caused to all the other passengers for the one-minute delay at the unscheduled stop.

The captain of the train contacted the control room of the Shenyang Railway bureau and asked for permissions to make a temporary stop for the Japanese passengers; the bureau quickly gave permission.  The passengers were then taken by car from the train station to the airport.

A reporter phoned the Control Room of the Shenyang Railway bureau in the morning of the 23rd to get reaction to comments from netizens.  When staff heard the topic, they hung up immediately.

Some netizens questioned the credibility of the letter written by the Japanese passenger.  According to the report, the writer, who represented the Japanese passengers, wrote, in Chinese, "This would not have been done in another country in the whole world.  The train stopped just for us at the Zhoushuizi station and the captain organized for us to get off in advance, which gave us enough time to catch our flight.  This has never happened in daily life in China before.  The captain even organized the police car to escort us to the airport.  I don't think this has ever happened before, either."

Some netizens thought the letter was sarcastic.

Source:  Xinming Evening News (Chinese)
Translation by:  XQ

Note:  The train captain has responded online to the criticism.  It has been translated here.